Leila Batties is an attorney in Holland & Knight’s Washington, D.C., office and a member of the firm’s Real Estate Section. Ms. Batties focuses on land use and zoning matters, representing clients in numerous aspects of the real estate development process. She regularly appears before the District of Columbia’s Zoning Commission, Board of Zoning Adjustment and City Council to secure approvals for planned unit developments, zoning map amendments, site plan approvals, special exceptions, variances, and street and alley closings. She has handled several applications for approval and processing of campus plans and text amendments to the Zoning Regulations. Ms. Batties also issues zoning opinion letters and negotiates of land disposition agreements, easements and covenants. She often assists clients through the permitting and the subdivision process.
Ms. Batties has served as zoning counsel for numerous mixed-use projects transforming the District of Columbia’s emerging neighborhoods, including several developments on property owned by the District of Columbia and owned by Howard University. In addition to residential uses, she has experience with grocery stores and other retail uses, hospitals, student housing and other university uses, as well as animal boarding and veterinary hospitals.